CEN European Reference Data Model forPublic Transport Information

Transmodel provides an abstract model of common public transport concepts and data structures that can be used to build many different kinds of public transport information system, including timetabling, fares, operational management, real time data, journey planning etc.

“Transmodel” is the short name for the European Standard “Public Transport Reference Data Model” (EN 12896). It contributes to improving a number of features of public transport information and service management: in particular, the standard facilitates interoperability between information processing systems of the transport operators and agencies.

Public transport services rely increasingly on information systems to ensure reliable, efficient operation and widely accessible, accurate passenger information. These systems are used for a range of specific purposes: setting schedules and timetables, managing vehicle fleets, issuing tickets and receipts, providing real time information on service running, and so on.

Transmodel has an important strategic role for European Public Transport data. Under the ITS Directive (Priority Action A ), by 2019 all EC member states must make their data available under Transmodel based standard formats such as NeTEx and SIRI. Transmodel is also being used to harmonise the TAP TSI rail standards into a uniform pan-European model, so is of direct relevance to rail carriers.

These systems are used for a range of specific purposes: setting schedules and timetables, managing vehicle fleets, issuing tickets and receipts, providing real time information on service running, and so on.

Transmodel is the European Reference Data Model for public transport and constitutes an offer to public transport companies and other providers of services related to the process of passenger transportation (planning, operation and information), to suppliers of software products supporting these processes, and to consultants and other experts acting in the field of public transport in the widest sense.

The reference data model, developed at conceptual level, can support the development of software applications, their interaction or combination in an integrated information system, and the system's organisation and information management which rules the utilisation of the existing telematics environment in a company (or group of companies) running computer applications supporting the different functional areas of public transport.

As a reference standard, it is not necessary for individual systems or specifications to implement Transmodel as a whole. It is possible to describe for those elements of systems, interfaces and specifications which fall within the scope of Transmodel:

Operations Monitoring and Control

Passenger information

Management Information and Statistics

Additional descriptions in the sub-models, including data dedicated to service performance indicators

Transmodel version EN 12896: 2006 (Transmodel V5.1) has been approved as the European Standard.
It has been developed by a European team within which various levels of end users were represented.

Transmodel has been presented at many conferences and discussed within seminars open to transport and information modelling experts for years. It has received, and still receives feedback from a wide audience to incorporate a variety of new points of view.